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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rule — government
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. current — of water
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com